Paint roller loading device



1954 s. T. COUGHLAN PAINT ROLLER LOADING DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, 1951 Patented Feb. 23, 1954 PAINT ROLLER LOADING DEVICE Standly T. Coughlan, Detroit, Mich., assignor to King Paint Roller Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 23, 1951, Serial No. 243,250

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved paint roller loading device.

An object is to provide an improved device for loading a paint roller with paint which device is simple, inexpensive, convenient to use and store, and easily manipulable.

Heretofore it has been the common practice to pour a small quantity of paint from a paint pail into a shallow loading pan. The roller was then rolled back and forth through the paint over the bottom of the loading pan to pick up paint on to the roller. My improved device possesses many advantages over the commonly used shallow loading pan.

An object of my invention is to provide a roller loading device which is capable of distributing paint upon a roller passed thereover in an even fashion and without overloading the roller or underloading it.

Another object of my invention is to provide a flexible roller loading element designed to be retained during the painting operation within a paint can or pail and adapted to be withdrawn partially therefrom to pick up suflicient paint to load the roller, and adapted to be employed to transfer such paint so picked up to the roller upon passing the roller thereover.

Loading my improved device with paint does not require transfer of paint from the can or pail to the device by pouring or the like, as is the practice with the use of the shallow pan conventionally employed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a roller loading device which upon being lifted out of the paint within the pail will pick up sufficient paint to properly load the roller but insufficient to overload the same. The device is so constructed that upon passing the roller thereover it does not either overload the roller or deposit the paint upon the eyes of the ends of the roller or upon other parts of the roller supporting frame, but deposits an even load of paint upon the paint carrying surface of the roller.

Another object of this invention is that the device may be retained within the paint pail through the painting operation and may be used by the painter while standing on a ladder or other part of scaffolding where it would be difiicult to properly support the conventional loading pan. The device of this invention does not require, during the loading of the roller, any support other than the pail of paint and that supplied by the painter himself.

This improved paint loading roller device is convenient to store inasmuch as it may be stored 2 within a paint pail. It is easy to clean. Replacement fillers may be simply and quickly installed. It is of cheap construction.

This improved device can be satisfactorily used with rubber base paints and does not cause buffing of the paint as may occur by passing a paint roller back and forth over the bottom of a metal paint loading pan.

Other objects, advantages and meritorious features will more fully appear from the following description, claims and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the preferred form of my invention in use;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of a part of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through a paint can showing the device of Fig. 1 disposed within the paint in the can;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of afragment of a portion of the sheet shown in the device of Figs. 1 through 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan of a fragment of a sheet of a modified form as compared with that of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan of a fragment of a sheet of a modified form as compared with that of Figs. 4 and 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a modification of the invention as compared with the construction of Figs. 1 through 3;

Fig. 9 is a perspective of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 8.

The invention illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4 comprises a fiat piece of flexible woven material 20, such as terry cloth. This is a material which is so woven as to exhibit a plurality of closely associated loops 22 projecting from both sides of the sheet as shown in Fig. 4. To one end of this sheet is secured a member 24 in the form of a rod or the like extending transversely across the end of the sheet having the end portions 26 projecting therebeyond and disposed offset the end of the sheet as shown in Fig. 1. These end portions are ear-like projections 26 adapted to be engaged underneath the inwardly projecting ledge 28 of a conventional paint can 30 which is shown in Fig. 1. The rod-like member 24 may be secured in place by folding the under margin of the cloth thereover and stitching it as at 32 therealong.

' The opposite end of the sheet is folded over and stitched thereto as at 34. A handle 36 is secured to this opposite end of the sheet. This handle is so shaped as shown to provide for convenience of manipulation. It has complementary handle portions 38 and 40 each having an end portion 42 bent angularly therefrom and adapted to be inserted into the fold of the end of the cloth. This fold is cut away as at 44 to facilitate such insertion. A spring 46 is shown as received about the rtwo portions 38 and 'lln i to hold them together asshown in "Fig. 1. This spring may be lifted so that the portions 38 and 40 may be separated as shown in Fig. 2 to provide for removal of a worn cloth andinsertion of a new one.

The device may be disposed withinap'aint can as shown in Fig. 3 duringapaint-i-ng operation.

When a painter wishes to load the paint roller he lifts the device upwardly from :thevcan. :The

projecting ends 26 of the rod 24 engage underneath the ledge 28 of the can. The sheet '20 is then stretched outwardly of the rod 24 by the handle 26. The paint roller & :ima-y then she passed back and forth-over the clothpiclcingmp paint therefrom and loading the roller.

The construction 'of terry iclothils such that the closely associated loops dorm :paint collecting pockets which lead the clothrwith :paint when the cloth is dipped'into the paint. The 'cloth'picks up that quantity of paint which shas'floteen. found suitable to properly'loadithe roller. 'I'hemeripheral portion of the :roller which strikes the cloth isthe paintrcarryingportion and theeyes and frame portion of the roller do not ioecome coated withjpaint.

Fig. 5 illustrates a sheet form-ediof screen mesh 5! which might be pl-asticscreennr other screen mesh wherein the fibers'themselveswere'not .absorbent of liquid. The interstices formed bythe weave of the fibers constitute paint-coliecting pockets to pick up paint. Thistypeofisheet-material is likewise. suitable-and .mightnbe provided with the handle 36 and therodM-rs'hown in Figs. 1 through 3.

In Figs. 6 and 7 anothertypewof sheet material is shown. This sheet material might beifa'loric or it might be plasticsheet. Such :asheet material indicated by thenumeral :52 is 'fo'l'ded to form pleats 54 which extend transversely thereof. Each pleat may be stitched :down :by :a'isinuous line of stitching 56. Each pleatisadapte'd to constitute a transversely extending pocket within which paint maybe picked up by the-sheet'when dipped into the paint. The sinuous'line-of stitching provides :a transversely .extendingpocket of varying depth. The size, depth'and area ofthe pocket may be regulated-by the character ofthe line of stitching and the lineszofzsti'tchingamay vary so that different ipocketspresent different depths and present varying 2 depths at diiferent places. Such a sheet would be provided 'w-itha handle portion and the'can enga ing element as heretofore described,-and would be used tin-1the same manner asthe-structureshown in Figs. i1 through 3.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustratea modification ofxthe device in that the pajntzcollecting sheet isLnot in the form of a fiat-sheetbutisiin-the form-of a flexible sheet fabricated .tocQnstitute-atube or cylinder 58. This cylinderisopen at its-ends asshown. A handle-element 60 isisecured to one end. This handle element is so formed as to forma circular loop -82 over'whichztheumargin of the cylinder at one end is folded and isecure'd inplace. Theopposite endiof thesscylinder is provided withn can engagingelementaM. Ibis element..64.is.made up of. aring. 66 9111158; transversely projecting portion having projecting ends 68. The ends 68 which project beyond the periphery of the cylinder are adapted to engage underneath the inwardly projecting ledge 28 of the paint can in the same manner as the ends 26 of the rod 24 of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

In use, the element 64 would be inserted into a paint "can in the samecm'anner & as "the' element -24 of Fig. 1 is inserted thereinto. This could of course be accomplished by flexing the tube to dispose the element 64 linearly with respect to the-tube. Thecylinder 58 which might be formed of terry cloth or of sheet material such as shown inrfigs fi and'ifi would then be dipped into the -'=paint. -Having p'ieked up paint it would be lifted therefrom as shown in Fig. 1 and supported :stretchedbetweenthe handle and the can engaging element 64 in the position substantially shown in *"Fig. 8.

To load a roller with paint from a constructi'on-such as: shown in Fig-8, the free-.-end of :the roller would be inserted lengthwise-into the-cylinder. The-roller-would thenbe moved totravel over the inner surfaceof the cylinder. .As' the roller traveled over-the inneri-surfaoe-iof the cylinder it would pick up paint thereinto in-the samermanner as'would' theroller show-n inFig. l pick up paint from the fiatsheet.

'Each of these severalforms-of thginvention would :serve in the same way to load a paint roller-with paint. Eachiis relatively inexpensive. Each might be carried within the ,paintcan during the i'painting operation. Each would serve its intended function to properly load the'roller withoutdepositing an overloador an v.underload of paint thereon.

What I claim is;

.l. -A-.paint roller loading device comprising a sheet of material so formed as to pick upv-paint throughout anarea thereof between its ends when dipped-into the. paint andwithdrawn therefrom, saidrsheetwbeingprovided at-one end with :ahandle whereby-it maybe manipulated, said handle being connected with such end "of the sheet -to-support the sheet through-out its extent :at :such end, said sheet being provided at the opposite end with means carried thereby and extending along the ext'ent of the sheet at-such end for: supporting the :sheet throughout its extent at such fend, saidmeans being adapted to engage withtlreoverhanging ledge of -a paint container whereby the sheet may beextended upwardly therefromfther-sheet'being free and unsupportd between said means at one end and the handleconnected with thesh'eet at theopposite end.

.2. Anpaint roller loa-ding l -device comprising-a linear sheet-of flexiblematerialprovided throughout 'aportion of its-linear area with aplurality of paint collecting pockets adapted to pick up paint when the sheetis :dipped thereinto, said sheet being .II'IOVld'Gd at one .end with a transverse supporting and pail eng-agingelement extending :transverselyof the sheet for supporting the: sheet transversely atasuch end, said. element projecting at both ends beyond the. margins of the-sheetand adapted to-engage the overhanging ledgezof :alpa-int v container, :said sheet being provided at theopposite end withra handle element'ha-vinglas part connected with the sheet and extending transversely thereof and adapted to support thesheet transversely at such rend,; said handle element being adapted to hold the sheet stretched away from Ltherpail; engaging element, said sheet extending :as a :fiexible freely unsuprported sheet between the transverse support of the pail engaging element at one end and the part of the handle element which extends transversely of the sheet at the opposite end.

3. A paint roller loading device comprising a linear sheet of flexible material provided with a plurality of transversely extending paint collecting pleat-like pockets, a rod element secured to and extending transversely of the sheet at one end for supporting the sheet transversely at such end, said element projecting beyond opposite linear margins of the sheet to engage underneath the inwardly projecting ledge of a paint pail, a handle element having a part secured to and extending transversely of the sheet at the opposite end to support the sheet transversely at such end, said handle element being adapted to be employed to stretch the sheet between said rod element and said handle, said sheet extending as a flexible freely unsupported sheet between 20 the rod element at one end and the handle element at the opposite end.

4. A paint roller loading device comprising a flexible tubular element having the inner surface provided with paint collecting pockets adapted to pick up paint when the tube is dipped thereinto, means secured to one end of the tube and extending transversely thereof and projecting therebeyond adapted to engage underneath the inwardly projecting ledge of a paint can, and handle means secured to the opposite end of the tube and adapted to be manipulated to hold the tube whereby a paint roller may be inserted endwise thereinto and rolled over the inner surface thereof to pick up paint therefrom.

5. A paint roller like device comprising a flexible open ended cylinder provided on its inner surface with a plurality of paint collecting pockets, said cylinder being provided at one end with ears projecting therefrom and adapted to engage underneath the inwardly projecting ledge of a paint can, said cylinder being provided at its opposite end with a handle extending upwardly from one side thereof whereby the cylinder may be stretched out lengthwise and a paint roller may be freely inserted lengthwise into the open handle end of the cylinder.

STANDLY T; COUGHLAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 140,655 Smith July 8, 1873 642,746 Kley Feb. 6, 1900 

